Socket unit



Sept. 17, 1968 YUKITUGU MURAKAMI ET AL 3,402,384

SOCKET UNIT QSheQtS-sheet 1 Filed Deo. 27, 1966 y i QA/6 0// ff M 2f f2 2? Z? A INVENTORS YUKI u MUR/1MM! WIW/7( d ATTORNEYS Sept- 17, 1963 YUK|TUGU MURAKAM| ET Ax. 3,402,384

SOCKET UNIT Filed Dec. 27, 196e 2 sheds-sheet a INVENTORS Yvmruau Mmmm Nodo/Yu SHA/0 EHU/1 YM/wnfm United States Patent O 3,402,384 SCKET UNIT Yukitugu Murakami, 5-2 4-chome Kusatu, Kusatuslli, Shigagen, Japan; Noboru Sano, -18 Higashitanalcase, Terado, Mukomachi, Otokuuigun, Kyoto, Japan; and Eiichi Yamanaka, 671 Wakamiyadori Ichijo Agaru, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan Filed Dec. 27, 1966, Ser. No. 604,907 Claims priority, application Japan, Dec. 29, 1965, 40/108,459 7 Claims. (Cl. 339-123) This invention relates to a socket unit which can be secured to a supporting member without using any screws or the like.

Conventional sockets are secured to a supporting structure such as, for example, a panel, by means of screws. The manual work involved, however, is troublesome and time-consuming, and it is impossible to mount many such sockets onto the supporting structure in a short time. To overcome the disadvantages, there have been proposed many types of mounting devices, which have yet to be previously secured to the supporting structure by the use of some kinds of tools. The work is also troublesome and time-consuming- Accordingly, the primary object of the invention is to provide a socket unit which can lbe securely mounted onto a supporting member in a simple, single action with out use of any tools.

Anoiher object of the invention is to provide such a socket unit as aforesaid which comprises a socket body and a particular mounting member which latter can be quickly and easily combined with the former without use of any tools.

The socket unit of the invention consists of a socket lbody and a mounting member combined therewith. The

socket body comprises a top wall having oppositely projecting edges adapted to engage the opposed peripheral edges of an opening formed in the Supporting panel to which the socket unit is to be secured. A pair of lateral recesses are formed in the opposite side walls of the socket body. The `mounting member consists of a pair of parallel side wall elements spaced a distance apart and connected at their respective upper edges by a pair of resilient, curved elements integral with said Side Wall elements. Each of the side wall elements is lanced to provide at least one tongue projecting outwardly. The top wall of the socket body is divided by a pair of transverse grooves into three sections, the middle one of Which is formed with laterally and oppositely projecting edges. To assemble the socket body and the mounting member, the side wall elements of the latter member may simply be pulled apart and the socket body is fitted therebetween in such a manner that the side wall elements and the connecting elements of the mounting member are snapfitted into the grooves of the top wall of the socket body and the lateral recesses of the socket body, respectively. The natural memory of the curved connecting element assures the intertting relaion of the assembled and helps prevent casual separation thereof.

The socket unit thus assembled may be simply pushed into the opening of the panel, until the tongues of the mounting member are engaged by the opposed edges of the opening to be resiliently pushed inward and iinally pass them to be restored to their original projecting position by virtue of their own spring action. Under the condition, the upper edges of the tongues engage the under surface of the edges of the panel opening, while the under surfaces of the projecting edges of the top wall of the socket body rest on the upper surface of the other Opposed pair of peripheralV edges of the panel opening, thereby securely mounting the socket unit Onto the panel.

3,402,384 Patented Sept. 17, 1968 lCe The invention with its features and advantages will be better understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. l is a perspective view of a socket unit embodying the invention, as shown mounted on a supporting panel, part of which is cut away for clarity of illustration;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of FIG. l; and

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line A.-A in FIG. l.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a socket unit 10 which comprises a socket body 12 and a mounting member 14 for securely mounting the socket body to a supporling structure. The supporting structure is shown as a panel 16 having an opening 18 for receiving the socket unit therein. The socket body is provided in its top wall 12' with a plurality of bores 20 for receiving the prongs of a cooperating member such as a tube relay. In each of the prong-receiving bores 20 there is provided a contact member 22 which compirses a prong-engaging portion disposed within the bore and a terminal portion projecting out of the bottom face of the socket body for electrical connection to a source or load.`

The top wall 12 of the socket body is of a generally rectangular shape and has a pair of op'positely projecting edges or flanges 26, which are adapted to sit on the opposite peripheral edges of the opening 18 of the panel 16 when the socket unit is inserted thereinto, as will be described later. A pair of recesses 2%, only one of which is shown, are formed in the opposite sides of the socket body for receiving therein the side wall elements of the mounting member 14 to be described later. The top wall of the socket body is formed with a pair of transverse grooves 34 for receiving therein the connecting bars of the mounting member 14 to be described later. The grooves 34 divide the top wall 12 into three Sections along the length thereof, the middle one of which has lateral edges or flanges 30 overhanging the opposite recesed sides 28 of the socket body. The overhanging edges 30 helps prevent the mounting member 14 from Slipping out of the socket body. If the edges 30 project longer, they will sit on the perihperal edges of the opening 18 oi the panel to cooperate with the other pair of projections in securely holding the socket unit in the panel.

The mounting member 14 is made of a suitable metal and comprises a pair of side wall elements 40 spaced a distance apart and connected at their respective upper edges by a pair of downwardly bowed, resilient elements 42. Each side wall element 40 is lanced to provide a pair of outwardly and upwardly projecting tongues 48. Each side Wall element 40 may `advantageously be formed with a slot 40 and also split as at 40" for the purpose of making it easier for the side wall element 40 t-o pass over the projecting flange 30 when the socket body is inserted into the mounting member 14, as will be described just below.

In assembling the socket body 12 and the mounting member 14 into a unit, the side wall elements 40 of the latter member are pulled apart against the resiliency ol the connecting elements 42 and, under the condition, the socket body is fitted into the expanded side wall elements 40 until the connecting elements 42 are fitted into the grooves 34 of the top wall of the socket body and the side wall elements 40 of the mounting member 14, intc the side recesses 28 of the socket body, with the middle part of each downwardly curved connecting element 42 bearing resiliently on the bottom of each groove 34, anc the upper edges of each side wall element 40 engaging the under surface of each lateral flange 30 of the middle section of the top wall. This not only ensures the interfitting relation between the member 14 and the socket bod) 12 but also prevents separation of the two.

To mount the socket unit thus assembled onto the panel 16, the unit may be held with its bottom toward the opening 18 of the panel 16, and simply inserted thereinto. During the course of insertion, first the tongues 48 of the side wall element 40 of the mounting member 14 are engaged by the side edges 32 of the opening 13 of the panel to be pushed inwardly until the tongues ride over the opening edges 32 so as to be restored to their original projecting position due to their resiliency. About this time, the under surfacesy of the projecting edges 26 of the top wall of the socket body abut on the upper surfaces of the opposite edges 24 of the panel opening 18, with the upper edges of the tongues 48 abutting on the under surfaces of the opposed edges 32 of the panel opening 18. Under'the condition, the socket unit can neither be pulled out of the panel because of the connecting elements 42 f the mounting member 14 holding the socket body and the tongues 48 engaging the under surface of the panel, nor can the socket unit be pushed in because of the projecting flanges 26 of the socket body engaging the upper surface of the panel. Thus, the socket unit can be securely mounted into the panel opening.

The downward curvature and resiliency of the connecting elements 42 of the mounting member 14 are advanageous because they make it possible for the socket unit io apply itself to panels of different thicknesses. If the panel is thicker, the curved connecting elements 42 tend :o be straightened or less curved to widen the gap be- :ween the under surface of the flanges 26 and the upper edge surfaces of the tongues 48 enough to accommodate herein the thickness of the panel.

A preferred embodiment of the invention having been llustrated and described, it should be noted that many nodifications and changes may be made within the scope )f the invention as defined in the appended claims. For rxample, the flanges 30 of the middle section -of the top Vall of the socket body may be replaced by similar fianges n the adjacent top wall sections; there may be a single lonnecting bar instead of the two on the mounting memer 14; the projecting anges 26 may be omitted pro- 'ided that the anges 30 be extended enough to perform he same function; etc.

What we claim:

1. A socket unit adapted to be mounted onto a sup- `orting structure by inserting said unit into an opening ormed in said structure, comprising a socket body havig a plurality of contact members and at least one pair f oppositely projecting fianges adapted to engage the eripheral edges of said opening; and amounting member onsisting of a pair of generally parallel wall elements paced a predetermined distance apart by a plurality of :silient connecting elements integral with said parallel yall elements, said wall elements being adapted to sand- 'ich the opposite sides of said socket body, and formed 'ith at least one projecting tongue for engaging the edge f said opening of said supporting structure at the surface lereof opposite to that at which said projecting flanges of te socket body engage said supporting member.

2. The socket unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said )cket body is provided in its top wall with at least one roove for receiving therein a resilient connecting element.

3. The socket unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said silient connecting elements are curved.

4. A socket unit adapted to be mounted onto a sup- )rting structure by inserting said unit into an -opening rmed in said structure, comprising a socket body having plurality of contact members and at least one pair of Jpositely projecting flanges adapted to engage the periphal edges of said opening: and a mounting member consting of a pair of generally parallel wall elements spaced a predetermined distance apart by at least one resilient connecting element, said well elements being adapted to sandwich the opposite sides of said socket body, and `formed with at least one projecting tongue for engaging the edge of said opening of said supporting structure at the surface thereof opposite to that at which said projecting flanges of the socket body engage said supporting member, wherein said socket body is provided with another pair of oppositely projecting anges, the under surfaces of which are adapted to be engaged by the upper edges of said wall elements of said mounting member.

5. A socket unit adapted to be mounted onto a supporting panel by inserting said unit into an opening formed in said panel, comprising a socket body having a generally rectangular top wall formed with a plurality of prongreceiving bores and a first pair of oppositely projecting flanges adapted to engage the peripheral edges of said panel opening, said top wall being divided by a pair of transverse grooves into three sections, the middle one of which is provided with a second pair of laterally and oppositely projecting flanges, said socket body being recessed at its opposite lateral sides, yover which said second pair of flanges project; and a mounting member consisting of a pair of generally parallel wall elements having a plurality of tongues and being spaced a predetermined distance apart by a pair of downwardly curved resilient elements intergral with said parallel wall elements, said wall elements being adapted to be fitted into said lateral recesses of said socket body, thereby sandwiching the same, with said resilient connecting elements having been fitted in said transverse grooves, and the upper edges of said parallel wall elements engaging the under surfaces of said second pair of projecting anges, and the edges of said projecting tongues engaging said supporting panel at the surface thereof opposite to that at which said first pair of flanges engage said panel.

6. A socket unit adapted to be mounted onto a supporting structure by inserting said unit into an opening formed in said structure, comprising a socket body having side walls and a top wall including a plurality of contact members and at least one pair of oppositely projecting top fianges extending beyond a portion of said body side walls with at least a pair of said flanges adapted to overlie the opposed peripheral edges of said opening: and a mounting member consisting of a pair of generally parallel wall elements spaced a predetermined distance apart by at least one resilient connecting element, said wall elements being adapted to spring over one of said pairs of projecting top fianges and engage opposite body side walls with the upper edges of said wall elements restrained from upward movement by the lower surface of said pair of flanges to thereby sandwich the opposite sides of said socket body, and formed with at least one projecting tongue for engaging the edge of said opening of said supporting structure at the surface thereof opposite to that overlain by said top projecting flanges.

7. The socket unit as defined in claim 6 wherein said wall elements are formed defining a slot with a slit communicating said slot with said upper edges of said side wall elements for the purpose of facilitating the passage of said side wall elements over said pair of fianges.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,869,098 l/1959 Sauer 339-128 X 2,928,065 3/1960 Hennessy et al 339-128 2,946,033 7/1960 Wirth 339-128 X RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SOCKET UNIT ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ONTO A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE BY INSERTING SAID UNIT INTO AN OPENING FORMED IN SAID STRUCTURE, COMPRISING A SOCKET BODY HAVING A PLURALITY OF CONTACT MEMBERS AND AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF OPPOSITELY PROJECTING FLANGES ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE PERIPHERAL EDGES OF SAID OPENING; AND A MOUNTING MEMBER CONSISTING OF A PAIR OF GENERALLY PARALLEL WALL ELEMENTS SPACED A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE APART BY A PLURALITY OF 